Representatives from the twelve entities that make up the ZEST project consortium gathered in Riga (Latvia) on June 11–12 for the 3rd General Assembly, hosted by the State Institute of Wood Chemistry (LSIWC). This meeting marked a key milestone in the project, which was officially launched one year ago. The two-day in-person event provided a valuable opportunity to review technical progress, strengthen collaboration between partners, and explore synergies with other European initiatives. The agenda was divided into two main blocks:

Day 1: internal and external sinergies

The General Assembly opened with a warm welcome from Danish Technological Institute, coordinator of the project, and the LSIWC, followed by a series of presentations on each work package offering updates on scientific and technical activities. A dedicated session focused on the collaboration between ZEST and the EPIC-SHIFT initiative, featuring an online presentation by several of its members and a group discussion to explore joint opportunities.

The day concluded with a dynamic collaborative workshop, during which partners worked in groups to prepare insights for the following day. Over the course of two hours, the entities responsible for the different work packages received feedback from the other partners to enhance internal coordination and identify potential barriers that could jeopardise progress in the coming months.

Day 2: next steps and labs

Workshop group presentations kicked off the morning session on Day 2. Some of the notes included in the ‘Next Steps’ section were: setting up additional test fermenters to accelerate progress, continuing development of the prototype bioreactor system, defining digital models, and further mapping of SSbD initiatives, among others. The new roadmap for the communication and dissemination strategy was explained in detail, and financial and administrative questions were addressed.

In the afternoon, participants visited the LSIWC laboratories, gaining first-hand insight into the Latvian partner’s facilities and ongoing research contributions to the field of bioeconomy.

CTA’s role

Corporación Tecnológica de Andalucía (CTA), represented by Manuel Silva, Communication specialist, and Marta Macías, Innovation consultant, plays a leading role in ZEST. As leader of work package 7, CTA is responsible for designing and executing the communication and dissemination strategy of the project results until its completion, scheduled for May 2028.